In this episode of Job Talk we talk to iMPact’s owner, Matt Peal, about how to find jobs on the “hidden job market”.Â
With a seemingly endless number of job boards available, many of them to some degree interconnected, there’s a lot of competition for many of the jobs that are being posted. When you find a posting for a job that you’re interested in, chances you’ll be competing with many other applicants. Many jobs exist on the hidden job market for various reasons; to save money on job postings, companies feel they’re more likely to get better quality candidates through employee referrals, or the company wants to keep their hiring quiet for different reasons.
What is the hidden job market? The simple answer is jobs that are not being advertised publicly at all, or only advertised in places that have low visibility such as internal company job boards as opposed to sites like Monster or Indeed. Hidden jobs can also be jobs that haven’t been created yet. One of the biggest advantages of applying for hidden jobs is that there’s much less competition and you may be one of only a handful of applicants, or sometimes even the only applicant. Here are some tips for how to find, apply for and land a hidden job.
Who To Ask
In-house recruiters: They will be in the loop not only about open positions, but also openings that for whatever reason haven’t been posted yet. Recruiters spend much of their time on LinkedIn. If there’s a specific company you’d like to work for, connect with their recruiters. Explain who you are and why you’d like to connect, and from there you’ll be able to easily get your resume in front of them. They can in turn get it in front of the right decision-maker in the organization.
Recruiters: In addition to, or instead of having in-house recruiters, companies will also work with staffing agencies to fill positions. Sometimes those positions are not publicly advertised if the company doesn’t want it to be publicly known that they’re trying to fill a specific job role. Reach out to recruiters who staff in your industry and build a relationship with them to make yourself available. A good way to start a relationship with a recruiter in addition to applying for a job yourself is to also refer other candidates to them for positions they are trying to fill.
Decision Makers: Connecting with people on social media, InMail, etc. is great and definitely something you should pursue. But you can’t beat connecting with decision-makers face-to-face for a more personal connection. Seek out events where decision-makers in your field will be attending. If you’re a project manager, seek out local PMI events. If you’re in HR, attend local HR events and conferences. Have your elevator speech ready but connect on a personal level first before going into job-seeking mode. Find out about their hobbies, where they went to school and other topics to connect on. From there you can lead into talking about any professional opportunities. Don’t hesitate to contact employers you’d like to work for directly even if they don’t have a position advertised.
Once you do start making connections with recruiters and decision-makers, be sure to always respond to emails and messages. Think long term. Even if the opportunity they’re presenting you with isn’t what you’re looking for, let them know what you’re interested in so they can keep you posted when a matching opportunity becomes available. Keep the door open for future opportunities.
Where to Look
Networking: Networking is always important when you’re looking for a new job. Think outside the box to network with people you might not normally come across. Look for networking opportunities on meetup.com, your local Chamber of Commerce, interest groups, after-hours gatherings, and go out with friends. You never know where you’ll meet someone who knows someone which will turn into a good networking connection for you. Another good time for networking is around the holidays. Don’t turn down the opportunity to attend holiday parties where you might meet people in your field or who are working for companies you are interested in applying to.
If you meet someone or would like to connect with someone who has the type of job you’re interested in or works for the company you’d like to work for, ask if you could schedule a time to talk to them about their career path or how they were able to obtain a job with that company. Don’t make the initial conversation about you. If they went to the same school as you, use that, or any other things you have in common to establish a connection. Customize your elevator speech and message to come across as authentic and personal. Don’t just borrow standard lines from your resume.
And remember that networking isn’t just something you do when you need a favor. It should be an ongoing activity. Share articles, job opportunities, and valuable information with those that you’d like to network with even at times when you’re not actively seeking jobs.
Alumni Associations: If you went to college, reach out to former classmates or alumni that work for the company you’re interested in. A form of alumni that people don’t always think of are former co-workers. Sometimes they stay in touch with each other and it can be a great resource to find out about new job opportunities and to get referrals.
Be in the Know: Do your research. Sometimes you may need to do a bit of reading between the lines. If there is a specific company you’d like to work for, sign up for company email updates, follow them on LinkedIn, and create news alerts. Google Alerts is a great tool. This will allow you to find out about big changes such as mergers and plant openings which may indicate that the company will be doing some hiring. If you find out that a company is under a hiring freeze, this is a great opportunity to start networking with them, so you’re well placed to be under consideration for a position there once the hiring freeze is lifted.
What’s next?
A great way to find jobs on the hidden job market is to establish a relationship and work with a recruiter who’s in contact with hiring managers and may be aware of non-advertised job opportunities as well as companies who may be getting ready to hire. To connect with an experienced iMPact recruiter about opportunities in Information Technology, Engineering, Finance/Accounting or Business Administration/Process, please visit our job board and submit your resume for one of our available opportunities or submit your resume here for general consideration.
